Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Thailand reveals mixed imported populations, a local lineage expansion and a virus with truncated ORF7a
Joonlasak K., Batty EM., Kochakarn T., Panthan B., Kümpornsin K., Jiaranai P., Wangwiwatsin A., Huang A., Kotanan N., Jaru-Ampornpan P., Manasatienkij W., Watthanachockchai T., Rakmanee K., Jones AR., Fernandez S., Sensorn I., Sungkanuparph S., Pasomsub E., Klungthong C., Chookajorn T., Chantratita W.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global public health threat. Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 was implemented in March of 2020 at a major diagnostic hub in Bangkok, Thailand. Several virus lineages supposedly originated in many countries were found, and a Thai-specific lineage, designated A/Thai-1, has expanded to be predominant in Thailand. A virus sample in the SARS-CoV-2 A/Thai-1 lineage contains a frame-shift deletion at ORF7a, encoding a putative host antagonizing factor of the virus.